


The Snowman

by Ink_Gypsy



Category: The Faculty (1998)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-12
Updated: 2010-02-12
Packaged: 2017-10-07 05:18:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/61795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ink_Gypsy/pseuds/Ink_Gypsy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone has been building a snowman in Zeke's front yard.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Snowman

**Author's Note:**

> This is pre-invasion and pre-slash.

The snow that began falling on December 21nd didn't look as if it would be stopping any time soon, making it likely that the citizens of Herrington would have their first White Christmas in a dozen years. The Board of Education, fearful of lawsuits should any of the town's children fall on their way to school, immediately closed all the public schools for the rest of the week. Zeke Tyler hadn't been planning to go to school at all Christmas week, so the School Board's decision pissed him off big time. What was the fun in being home if he wasn't breaking any rules by doing it?

The snow also had all incoming and outgoing flights canceled for the duration. Unlike the schools, the closing of the airport mattered even less to Zeke. It wasn't as if he expected a visit from his mother or father for Christmas and that was fine with him. They had remembered to send a card for the occasion. No greeting, of course, or a signature. But it had contained a check large enough to assuage their guilt, and that was fine with Zeke, too.

While the snow had closed the schools, it hadn't kept the kids inside. The streets were full of them, from toddlers to teens, sledding, making snow angels, having snowball fights and building snowmen. When he stepped out his front door on the morning of the 22rd, Zeke found it was still snowing, and that one of those kids had built a snowman in his front yard, or had at least started one. Whoever it was must have lost interest because they hadn't gotten any further than fashioning a huge ball of snow for the body and a smaller one for the head. They hadn't done any work on the face, just slapped a cap on the head.

 

[ ](http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s213/lijahscribe/?action=view&current=SnowmanWithoutFaceInSnow200x150.jpg)

 

Zeke's first instinct was to beat it to death with a shovel, but decided it wasn't hurting anyone, and who knew, maybe the budding artist would be back to finish his work. That turned out to be the case when Zeke came out on the morning of the 23th to find his snowman had the beginnings of a face in the form of two pieces of coal for eyes.

 

[ ](http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s213/lijahscribe/?action=view&current=SnowmanFaceWithJustEyesInSnow200x15.jpg)

 

Obviously the kid had a short attention span because it sure wouldn't have taken long to complete his frozen masterpiece. For a moment Zeke considered doing it himself, then decided to wait and see if the artist would return again.

On Christmas Eve morning, Zeke found that, in addition to his eyes, his snowman now had a raw carrot for a nose.

 

[ ](http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s213/lijahscribe/?action=view&current=SnowmanFaceWithEyesandNoseInSnow200.jpg)

 

Zeke had looked out his front window a number of times during the day and hadn't seen anyone in the yard, which had him figuring the additions had been done after dark. It wasn't likely to be a kid then, which had Zeke even more puzzled. Allowing his curiosity to get the best of him, Zeke decided that should the artist return, he was going to try to catch him in the act.

Shortly after dark, Zeke stepped out onto his front porch to find that the snowman had been completed. Pieces of coal were now placed in a curved line, creating a smile underneath his carrot nose.

 

[ ](http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s213/lijahscribe/?action=view&current=SnowmanFaceCompleteInSnowNight200x1.jpg)

 

How the hell had he missed who had done it? He was about to go back inside when he heard the rustling behind the bushes that framed the walkway. "Whoever you are, you'd better come out where I can see you," Zeke said in an angry voice, "cause you won't like what happens if I have to come and get you." Seconds later a figure stepped out into view. He was dressed in dark clothing, and with the snow still coming down, it took a moment for Zeke to recognize him.

 

[ ](http://s153.photobucket.com/albums/s213/lijahscribe/?action=view&current=CaseyInSnowNight.jpg)

 

"Connor?" Zeke asked incredulously. "_You_ made the snowman? What the fuck for?"

Casey Connor, obviously embarrassed at being found out, scraped a booted foot through the snow and said nothing.

"Well?" Zeke demanded.

Casey swallowed hard. "It's just that, everyone knows your folks aren't around..."

Zeke could feel his anger rising, but he let Casey finish.

"...and no one should be alone at Christmas. I thought it would be fun to build him a little bit at a time so you'd have something new to see every morning. Then when you came outside Christmas morning and saw the finished snowman, it might cheer you up..." Casey hesitated. "...and maybe you wouldn't feel so lonely."

Zeke's anger turned to amusement. Geeky Casey Connor, the class punching bag, had felt sorry for _him_. Had they been transported to some alternate universe? He might have laughed out loud at Casey's explanation, but damn if the kid hadn't looked and sounded completely sincere when he'd said it.

"So anyway...Merry Christmas," Casey told him, and turning around, began to walk away.

"Wait a minute." Zeke hadn't planned to say the words. They'd just come out. When Casey had turned around again, he surprised himself by adding, "Look, it's pretty cold out here. Why don't you come in and have something warm to drink? I've probably got some hot chocolate."

Casey looked dubious. It had to be a trick, didn't it? Maybe Zeke was going to wait until he started to climb the steps then trip him, sending him flying out into a snow bank. Or maybe Zeke was serious. If Scrooge could change his ways on Christmas, why not Zeke Tyler? "Hot chocolate?" he asked. "Have you got any of those little marshmallows?"

"Little marshmallows," Zeke repeated. "Connor, you really _are_ a geek."

Casey cocked his head. "Does that mean yes?"

Zeke couldn't hide his smile. "I'll see what I can do."

So Christmas Eve found Zeke Tyler and Casey Connor sitting at Zeke's kitchen table together, drinking hot chocolate. It wasn't exactly a Christmas miracle, but it was probably as close to one as Herrington would ever see.


End file.
